World News - NYC Police Investigating Shooting Death by Police of Groom on His Wedding Day

Police were investigating Saturday the shooting death by police of a man outside a Queens strip club in the early hours of his wedding day. Witnesses said officers shot the three young men — the other two were wounded, one remains critical — after they left a bachelor party at Kalua Cabaret at roughly 4 a.m. Reports placed the three men in a car outside the club at the time of the incident. The Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul Browne, declined to comment. "All I know, they was celebrating," said Denise Ford, who said her son was one of the survivors. "The guy was getting married today." Ford said the trio's car had hit an unmarked police vehicle. The intersection where the shooting took place remained blocked mid-afternoon off as cops inspected a car and a minivan and placed markers where shell casings were found. But police did not immediately confirm that either of those vehicles belonged to the department. They will investigate themselves, and clear themselves. ... http://www.foxnews.com

The South African Jewish Report, published weekly in Johannesburg, is engaged in a heated public spat with the country's Jewish minister of intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils, and the South African Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), over the newspaper's refusal to publish a letter by Kasrils that, the paper's editor says, compares Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories to those of the Nazis during WWII. The Report last week refused to publish Kasrils's reply to an article that questioned his stance on Israel. SAJR editor Geoff Sifrin initially approved Kasrils's request to reply to an article by Anthony Posner entitled "Some Pertinent Questions to Kasrils." Posner had concluded the article with the challenge: "So Mr Kasrils... now is your chance to engage in 'civilized discussion.' But perhaps this 'kitchen' is too hot for you? I am sure that the readers of the SAJR will be interested to see whether you have the ability to respond in a rational manner to all ...http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378459829&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Palestinian militants will halt rocket attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, say senior officials. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' office said that Israel should in turn stop military operations in Gaza and withdraw its forces. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to the plan, his spokeswoman said. The ceasefire will go into effort from 0600 (0400GMT) on Sunday. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6184664.stm

The Taliban has kidnapped two Pakistani journalists in southern Afghanistan, a spokesman for the militant group and a wife of one of the missing men said Friday. The Taliban said the men were safe and would released soon.Syed Saleem Shahzad, from The Star English-language daily in the southern city of Karachi, and Qamar Yousafzai, a reporter with various newspapers in southwestern Quetta, were last heard from in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province on Oct. 19, according to Shahzad's wife, Anita Saleem said....http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-11-25-afghanistan-kidnapping_x.htm?csp=34

The pastor at Anchorage First Free Methodist Church was mystified. Why was the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals chastising his church? No animals are harmed in the making of the church's holiday nativity display. In fact, animals aren't used at all. People, however, do dress the parts — Mary, Joseph, wise men, etc. The volunteers stand shivering at a manger on the church lawn, a silent tribute to Christmas. The Rev. Jason Armstrong was confused by an e-mail earlier this week from PETA. It admonished him for subjecting animals "to cruel treatment and danger," by forcing them into roles in the church's annual manger scene. We've never had live animals, so I just figured this was some spam thing," Armstrong said. "It's rough enough on us people standing out there in the cold. So we're definitely not using animals...http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231925,00.html

Vice President Dick Cheney arrived Saturday in Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah, apparently seeking the Sunni royal family’s influence and tribal connections to calm Iraq after an especially violent week. Cheney’s one-day visit comes at a time of upheaval across the region and as regional diplomatic efforts to calm several potentially explosive situations have foundered. In Iraq, the slaughter Thursday of 215 people in car bombs by suspected Sunni insurgents in a Shiite neighborhood prompted a new political crisis ahead of talks scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Jordan between the Iraqi premier and President Bush. A top Shiite political party that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki depends on for power threatened to withdraw from the government if he meets Bush. Developments in Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories also have heightened worries of further regional instability and are expected to be on the agenda of Cheney’s talks with Abdullah...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15887694/